Dogon ceremonial mask, Walu, wood, carved with six projections extending above the face, which emulates Dogon architecture. Walu is a funerary rite that is danced when an important villager passes, or periodically on behalf of all who have passed before. It is intended to accompany the deceased into the world of their ancestors. Walu is an antelope. The projections represent antelope horns. The ceremony is tied up in a legend about Walu as the protector of the sun, and who died as a result of that responsibility. The style of the mask form is similar to Dogon architecture in Mali
23" tall x 8" wide. #AGCT14